06: Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz

STAGE OF GLOBAL CONQUEST: Since selling their software company, Opsware, to Hewlett-Packard in 2007, Andreessen and Horowitz have emerged as two of the top venture players in Silicon Valley. Their company has invested in Facebook, Skype, Foursquare, Groupon, Twitter, and Zynga.

RECENT ACQUISITION: Larry Summers. The former Treasury secretary joined their shop as a special adviser in June.

PAST LIFE: Andreessen is credited with developing the original Internet browsers—first Mosaic, at the University of Illinois, then Netscape, for which Horowitz served as a product manager.

LITTLE BUDDY: Mike Ovitz, former power agent and co-founder of Creative Artists Agency. Andreessen has said that he models his V.C. firm on CAA during the Ovitz years.

Andreessen modeled his firm after a Hollywood talent agency once led by Mike Ovitz.